Coachella Valley Rap/Hip-Hop artist CKEELAY released his first EP, “Growing”, September 30, 2018 on his own label, Aero Mystic Records. CKEELAY will be performing along with THR3 STRYKES, AL RO$$I, DOZZI DOZ, WILLDABEAST and RAZOR J on Friday, November 9, 2018 at The Hood Bar & Pizza for Coachella Valley Weekly’s Desert Music Rap and Hip-Hop Showcase. Cost of entry is $5. The purpose of the event is to deliberately flaunt our artists to a broader audience. CV Weekly connected with CKEELAY to discuss “Growing” and the showcase.

CVW: “Growing” is multifaceted EP. What has been the response you’ve received thus far?

CKEELAY: “So far I’ve received mixed reactions between how aged the music is to how my music sounds now to regular listeners along with positive reviews from people able to look past the teenage angst and my old high-pitched voice.”

CVW: This is your first official EP release to the masses? What are you hoping for “Growing” to accomplish?

CKEELAY: “I like the idea that ‘Growing’ isn’t supposed to stand the test of time but to be a marker of where I was many years ago as a local producer, rapper/singer and songwriter in the Coachella Valley with some refined mixing and mastering that I still think could be tweaked.”

CVW: How do you feel about your participation in the Desert Music Rap and Hip-Hop Showcase?

CKEELAY: “I’m excited about the showcase because of what it means to me and what I feel me and many of the other great local artists in the valley think it means, which is having more events like this and a direction to be taken within the valley to start looking within our community of very diverse artists, music genres, cultures and people in general to start working together in really showing what it means to be a part of the Coachella Valley and showcasing our music and art. What that means to me is building this community similar to those of the Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, New York and Los Angeles music scenes. And how I’ve observed what it means to create not only a wave, but a community, to me is having unbiased opinions of others and being able to walk outside and see what your neighbors are creating around you. I think the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is such a good example of bringing together some of the most diverse artists on a mainstream level for one event. That’s why I’m excited about the lineup we’ll be having November 9th as the artists are already diverse amongst us all while still being able to be under the realm of Hip-Hop music.”

CVW: We have a distinctive line-up for the showcase. What are your thoughts on the other artists you’ll be performing with, THR3 STRYKES, DOZZI DOZ, AL RO$$I and RAZOR J?

CKEELAY: “Razor J slays the guitar and raps impeccably on his beats. Thr3 Strykes have catchy flows and banger beats. The other artists are great and show the diversity and community we can have creating so many different types of music and being able to bring us all together on one night. It’s gonna be dope!”

DIVERSE: CKEELAY is a musician, rapper, vocalist, producer and engineer.

DISTINCT: CKEELAY is only 21 years old.

DISTINGUISHED: Ckyle Pina is the owner of the label Aero Mystic Records.

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